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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28618254">rising with the tide, falling with the stars</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/water_poet/pseuds/water_poet'>water_poet</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aang &amp; Zuko (Avatar) Friendship, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Avatar Zuko (Avatar), Azula (Avatar) Redemption, Badass Katara (Avatar), Dead Aang (Avatar), Eventual Katara/Zuko (Avatar), F/F, F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Growing Up, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Past Lives, Rewrite, Sibling Bonding, Siblings, Slow Burn, Spirits, yet another "I reinvent canon" fic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 09:53:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,606</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28618254</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/water_poet/pseuds/water_poet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Zuko glares. "Who says I'm learning airbending?"</p>
<p>"You have to, if you want to master all four elements and become the Avatar," the boy replies, matter-of-factly.</p>
<p>With a groan, Zuko stands, clenching his fists angrily. "I'm not going to do Avatar training! I shouldn't even be the Avatar!"</p>
<p>The boy shakes his head, getting to his feet. His clothes aren't like anything Zuko's ever seen before. "You should."</p>
<p>"How do you know?"</p>
<p>"Because you are."</p>
<p>(An Avatar!Zuko fic, inspired by various fanart and tumblr posts)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Mai/Ty Lee (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar), azula/happiness</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>59</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zuko knows a thing or two about lost causes, which is how he knows it's a lost cause as he stares out at the icy shores of the Southern Water Tribe's encampment.<br/><br/>The knuckles on his left hand whiten against the stern railing. He hates being cold. He misses the heat of the Fire Nation capital, the ever-present summer breeze and the steam rising from the pond in the garden on the cooler mornings.<br/><br/>"Your highness!"<br/><br/>Zuko looks over his shoulder, his scarred side visible to the sailor. "What?" He demands.<br/><br/>The sailor flinches back before instinctively snapping into a respectful salute. "Apologies, Prince Zuko. Our scouts have signaled back from the village. There's no sign of the Avatar."<br/><br/>Zuko roars in frustration, rounding on the sailor, his venomous tone sending wisps of smoke through his teeth.<br/><br/>"Why don't you search again, then? I doubt that pitiful once over you call a search revealed anything!"<br/><br/>The soldier coughs slightly as the smoke blows across his face. "Your highness...the sun is starting to set, it will be difficult for my men to spot hazards - "<br/><br/>"Did I ask about hazards, Lieutenant?" Zuko snaps, another wire of flame flickering from between his teeth.<br/><br/>For a moment, the soldier looks like he's going to protest, but clearly thinks better of it as he bows and turns away.<br/><br/>Zuko goes back to cursing the ocean, just enough heat emanating from his palms to keep his fingers from freezing off.<br/><br/>He imagines what Iroh would say if he were with him.<br/><br/>"Prince Zuko, you should rest for the night. A blind dog chasing its tail has no chance of reaching its target."<br/><br/>He stops imagining.<br/><br/>The setting sun starts to do strange things to the glaciers. They glow shades of orange and red, as if lit from inside, bouncing light off each other in colorful, fiery arcs. Zuko catches a few soldiers admiring it as they switch patrols, catches soft mumbles about travel and rest and shame.<br/><br/>He ignores it. He always ignores it.<br/><br/>Eventually the sun sets, and the only lights left are the moon and the stars, providing only the faintest blue haze across the icy seas.<br/><br/>Zuko retires for the night, with a sharp word to the captain to wake him at the first sign of trouble.<br/><br/>He is not awoken until the ship starts to sink.<br/><br/></p>
<hr/>
<p><br/>Truth be told, Zuko doesn't recall most of the wreck. He remembers the clang of bells and the scramble of soldiers as the icy water poured in through a gash in the hull.<br/><br/>He remembers the captain's hard eyes, as if to say, "You should have known."<br/><br/>He remembers the water pulling the ship apart, freezing men to unconsciousness and pulling him to the depths with them, fire useless against the merciless tides.<br/><br/>He remembers floating, just between life and death, air and water, as the sun begins to rise.<br/><br/>"Katara, wait!"<br/><br/>Hands around him. A face, soft and blurred as his vision fails him.<br/><br/>He tries to breathe, but all he manages to do is breathe in more water. He gapes, and there is only blackness, and a voice, a boy's, repeating again and again, "Katara, Katara, Katara."<br/><br/></p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <br/>
  <em>Do I know you?</em>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <em>Well, sort of. I am you!</em>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <em>What? What are you talking about?</em>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <em>I'm you, in the past. Your past life!</em>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <em>My...I don't have a past life! You're just a crazy kid.</em>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <em>It's true!</em>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <em>Even if it is, why is my past life you? You're just a kid!</em>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <em>Well, you're just a teenager.</em>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <em>Fine. Fine, you're my past life. What's that got to do with anything?</em>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <em>You really don't know, do you?</em>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <em>Obviously! What kind of stupid question is that?</em>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <em>Hey, it wasn't stupid.</em>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<hr/>
<p><br/>It's a woman's voice that wakes him.<br/><br/>" - tired of scrounging for food in the ice. I told him the other option was starve."<br/><br/>The voice that follows is coarser, and lower, the voice of an elder woman.<br/><br/>"Katara, you know how much he wants to fight. Don't be so hard on him for wanting more."<br/><br/>Katara. The name floats around in Zuko's head for a moment before he remembers the watery face and soft hands that pulled him from the water, the boy's voice calling out, "Katara" again and again.<br/><br/>He doesn't move, still. He waits.<br/><br/>"How's that boy doing? The one from the wreck?"<br/><br/>"I don't know. He's been out for hours. It's not like I'm in a hurry to have a Fire Nation soldier awake and running around the village."<br/><br/>Zuko feels his good eyelid twitch - imagine mistaking a prince for a common soldier - before he stops himself. It's better that no one knows, for now. A soldier is worth nothing, and would likely be spared by people as weak as this. He's certain the crown prince of the Fire Nation wouldn't be released so easily.<br/><br/>"I'll see if he's breathing. If anything happens, hide. I can handle him."<br/><br/>She sounds confident. Zuko almost believes her.<br/><br/>There's the softest shush of fabric against fabric as someone opens the door to the igloo, mumbling something. A shadow crosses over Zuko's vision, but he keeps his eyes closed.<br/><br/>A cool hand presses against his forehead. He feels his body try to tense at the touch, foreign in its gentleness, but he catches himself.<br/><br/>"Looks like you're still alive. For now," says the voice, the younger woman. Zuko hears the crunch of snow as she sits heavily beside the cot he's laying on. "I don't know why I pulled you out of that wreck. I should have let you drown. One less Fire Nation soldier."<br/><br/>The woman scoffs to herself. The venom in her tone stings, and somewhere in the back of Zuko's mind, something feels wrong. But still, he doesn't move.<br/><br/>"I probably won't even get a 'thank-you.'"<br/><br/>Zuko opens his eyes. "Thank you."<br/><br/>The woman - not a woman, Zuko realizes, only a girl, his age, maybe Azula's, with long dark hair and a kind face - yelps, leaping back against the wall. She bumps a clay pot off a shelf, sending it tumbling towards the floor.<br/><br/>Zuko sits up, lightning fast as he reaches for the pot. He's not going to get there in time, but his gut tells him -<br/><br/>He feels something in his chest. A rumbling, like an earthquake across his entire body. As if it isn't his own for a moment, as if another person, hundreds of other people, are rising up within him. Why it's happening now, he can't say, but the girl's eyes are on him and she looks upset at the prospect of the pot shattering and all Zuko knows is he doesn't want her upset.<br/><br/>He feels the gravity of the pot, its weight and the stone that makes it up, suspended in his mind's eyes. The vibrations it makes as it tumbles through the air echo in his bones. It should be strange, but it isn't. He wills the pot to stop.<br/><br/>The pot stops, hovering beside the girl's head.<br/><br/>It's Zuko's turn to jump back, and the pot falls, hitting the snow with a soft thump<br/><br/>Katara - that must be her name - stares.<br/><br/>"You're...you're not a firebender?"<br/><br/>"What? Of course I'm a firebender!" Zuko insists. "How could the pr - the army not be firebenders?"<br/><br/>Katara has the guts to glare at him. "Last I checked, pots aren't made of fire," she snaps.<br/><br/>Zuko opens his mouth and closes it again. "No. They're not."<br/><br/>He meets Katara's eyes at the same moment she looks to his.<br/><br/>Her face paints a strange picture in that moment, dark against the white walls of the snowy home. There's a turmoil in her that Zuko thinks he recognizes, the strange mix of push and pull that the ocean and his mind seem to share. He feels the waves crash against his skull even now as Katara's eyes stay fixed on his, accusatory and reluctant and hopeful.<br/><br/>"You can't be. The Avatar...the Avatar's been gone for a hundred years. They left us to be hunted by the Fire Nation. And now they're part of it?" Katara demands, her eyes icy. <br/><br/>Zuko notes the hairline fractures in the packed snow beneath her feet, spreading slowly as her anger grows.<br/><br/>"You're a waterbender? I thought there were no more benders in the Southern Water Tribe," Zuko says.<br/><br/>Katara's glare only deepens. "Yeah, surprising to see at least one of us survived your massacres, huh?"<br/><br/>Now it's Zuko's turn to look confused. He sits up indignantly, wincing as he feels the bruises from being battered about in icy streams. "What are you talking about?"<br/><br/>"As if you don't know! My mother was killed in those raids. Your people took everything from mine. Including our hope that the Avatar would save us," Katara says.<br/><br/>Zuko lets his eyes drop. He can see his breath making clouds of steam in the freezing air. For something so mundane, it's beautiful, too. Something he'd never thought to notice before.<br/><br/>A strange thought occurs to him. It's almost not his own.<br/><br/>"Who says I won't save you?"<br/><br/>Katara stops, her gloved hand halfway through pulling the curtain of the igloo aside. "Why would someone from the Fire Nation want to stop them?"<br/><br/>"I...I don't know what else to do," Zuko says. "The one thing I've thought about, day and night for the past three years, is the Avatar. Finding them. Bringing them back and destroying them, so I could regain my honor."<br/><br/>Without realizing it, his hand comes up to brush the rough skin of his scar. The memories try to flood back in. He resists, and a wry smirk crosses his face. "I guess you'd prefer it if I did the destroying now, and saved you the trouble."<br/><br/> In spite of herself, it seems, Katara smirks. "Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea," she admits, her tone only half-joking. "You're still too beat up to be any trouble. I hope you stay that way."<br/><br/>She releases the pelt covering the door and leaves Zuko in the dim light.<br/><br/>What is he doing? He's not going to stay here. He's not going to save anyone.<br/><br/>But then what else is there to do?<br/><br/>Zuko weighs his options, staring at the icy ceiling as he shivers slightly amidst the furs he's wrapped in. If he goes back to his journey like nothing's changed, it will always be futile. He'll be wandering the world forever. It's not ideal, but it's not death.<br/><br/>He doesn't dare risk returning home. There's a chance his father would finally see his value, finally hold him up as his son and the Avatar, but there's an equal chance that he'll finish the job he started years ago and end him, knowing there were no more airbenders.<br/><br/>Or he could be the Avatar.<br/><br/>Zuko rolls over in the furs, wincing again. There's a nasty bruise at his side that forces him to turn at a strange angle to be comfortable, but he manages.<br/><br/>At least it isn't Azula, he thinks to himself.<br/><br/></p>
<hr/>
<p><br/>"<em>So, how does it feel? Being the Avatar, I mean</em>," the boy asks. He sits cross-legged, in front of Zuko.<br/><br/>Zuko picks absently at the thin cloth of his pants. "<em>I don't know. I'm not very good at feeling.</em>"<br/><br/>The boy smile brightly. "<em>Well, I'm great at feeling! I'm sure you'll get better at it once you start learning airbending.</em>"<br/><br/>Zuko glares. "<em>Who says I'm learning airbending?</em>"<br/><br/>"<em>You have to, if you want to master all four elements and become the Avatar</em>," the boy replies, matter-of-factly.<br/><br/>With a groan, Zuko stands, clenching his fists angrily. "<em>I'm not going to do Avatar training! I shouldn't even </em>be <em>the Avatar!</em>"<br/><br/>The boy shakes his head, getting to his feet. His clothes aren't like anything Zuko's ever seen before. "<em>You should.</em>"<br/><br/>"<em>How do </em>you <em>know?</em>"<br/><br/>"<em>Because you are</em>."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Not sure where this is going, or if I'll finish it. But I like Zuko, so I'll try.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Katara visits at least once a day. She brings him food - it's rubbery and bland and Zuko misses spice - and sits with him while he eats, her gaze never wavering.<br/><br/>"Do you want some?" Zuko asks dryly, offering the bowl of stew.<br/><br/>Katara only rolls her eyes. "Eat. Do you want to be in bed forever?"<br/><br/>Zuko considers it.<br/><br/>"No, I don't."<br/><br/>"Then eat."<br/><br/>He does.<br/><br/>It's quiet, here in the south. The snow muffled any sound, even as it bounces off the glaciers in an echo chamber. Hardly anyone laughs, and Zuko hasn't heard music of any kind. He can't decide if he misses the bustling sounds of the Fire Nation capitol, or the constant roar and creak of the freighter.<br/><br/>"What was a Fire Nation ship doing down here?" Katara's voice comes through the smoky haze of Zuko's memory.<br/><br/>He fishes in his head for a lie, but Azula's face only flashes before him and he sighs.<br/><br/>"I'm not exactly welcome in my homeland anymore," he admits. Somehow, it doesn't hurt as much to tell it to someone who doesn't have the whole story.<br/><br/>"You must have done something really awful to get rejected by the Fire Nation," Katara replies. The bitterness on her lips never seems to fade around Zuko.<br/><br/>He glares, and Katara's eyes dart to the scar for only a moment.<br/><br/>"I made someone very important very angry. I was punished, and then exiled. I thought my only chance at going home was to find the Avatar and return home with them, but it looks like that's not an option anymore."<br/><br/>Zuko sees the corner of Katara's mouth twitch in the ghost of a smile. Somewhere in his chest he feels a spark of anger like flint being struck, and he tries to glare and berate like he's used to doing. But as soon as he takes a breath, the icy air cutting through his lungs, the spark dies and he sits back against his cot.<br/><br/>"You don't have to say it. I know it's hilariously ironic," Zuko mumbles.<br/><br/>Katara shrugs, the soft furs of her coats making a faint shushing sound, like a distant waterfall. "Actually, I was thinking it's funny that you spent all this time looking for the Avatar and all you found was yourself. It must feel like a waste."<br/><br/>She doesn't sound sympathetic, but she doesn't sound sadistically gleeful either. It's somewhere in between, and Zuko somehow doesn't mind.<br/><br/>"I guess so. Really, it's my whole life that's been a waste," Zuko admits. Hearing it out loud in the harsh cold of the South Pole creates an odd duality in his mind. It's almost pathetic, pitiful to hear someone say they've fallen so far, to even admit it. But there's something freeing about it, too. It feels like a chapter closing. Maybe the whole book.<br/><br/>"Maybe you should change that, then," Katara suggests.<br/><br/>Zuko really does glare this time. "Yeah? Sure, just sit back while I put my life on the perfect path, no problem," he scoffs.<br/><br/>His fingers twitch. There's a roiling inside him, a tumultuous frustration - the kind he'd always used in training, against Azula and Iroh.<br/><br/>His next breath comes out as a spark and a puff of smoke, flashing in the dim light of the igloo.<br/><br/>Katara jumps back, and Zuko pulls his hands to his chest, embarrassed. Afraid. He feels the searing heat in his lungs begin to cool, forcing his breath to slow until the smoke clears completely.<br/><br/>"I didn't mean to," he offers pathetically.<br/><br/>"I know."<br/><br/>There's a long moment of silence. It's not unlike the few times Iroh convinced him to meditate, sitting in a soundless room, listening to the ambience. He'd always hated it. He hated reaching, hated thinking about the "here and now" for even a moment.<br/><br/>With Katara it's not so bad.<br/><br/>"What's your name?"<br/><br/>"Er, Zuko. It's Zuko."<br/><br/>Katara seems to consider the name. Part of Zuko seizes with panic on the though that she might recognize it.<br/><br/>Whether she does or not, Katara neglects to say. She nods and stands, taking the now empty bowl with her.<br/><br/></p>
<hr/>
<p><br/>Zuko thinks it's been a week by the time Katara takes him out to the village, but the sun never seems to fully set in the South Pole so it's hard to be certain.<br/><br/>He's not used to the rough heartiness of the clothes she lends him. In the Fire Nation, everything is breathable silks and delicate layers, inlaid with intricate gold filigree. Here, the clothes are tough, the stitches sewn unevenly with thick cord. The fur linings mold to his body, and when he moves he can feel them changing with him, in an odd sort of embrace around his stiff limbs.<br/><br/>He all but waddles after Katara and her brother - Sokka, he thinks briefly - as they step over the snow and ice, hide boots crunching against the frozen ground.<br/><br/>"Katara, do you wanna tell me why we're bringing Hothead with us? Pretty sure he's gonna try and kill us the first chance he gets," Sokka mutters, barely attempting to lower his voice.<br/><br/>Zuko glares, opening his mouth to protest the nickname (and the questioning of his intentions, but mostly the nickname) but Katara beats him to it.<br/><br/>"He's a firebender surrounded by water and ice. I think we'll be fine," she says, shooting Zuko a hard look over Sokka's shoulder.<br/><br/>He keeps his mouth shut this time, clenching his jaw and glaring right back.<br/><br/>"No offense, Katara, but I don't think a girl could handle a soldier," Sokka points out, and Zuko raises an eyebrow. "Good thing you've got your big brother here to protect ya!" he adds, slinging an arm around Katara's shoulder.<br/><br/>She shrugs it off and rolls her eyes. "Shut up, Sokka."<br/><br/>The canoe is uncomfortable, especially in the layers and layers of fabric. Zuko busies himself glaring at his own reflection. He hates all of it, even now: the tired eye, the scar, the ponytail that hangs over one shoulder. He grips the wooden siding of the boat tighter.<br/><br/>"So, Fire Nation soldier. You got a name?" Sokka asks. He doesn't look at him as he says it, as his eyes are fixed intently on the water, boomerang poised.<br/><br/>"It's Zuko."<br/><br/>Sokka purses his lips, as if deep in thought. "Zuko. Zoo-koh. I dunno, I think I like Hothead better."<br/><br/>Zuko growls under his breath. "Look, maybe my firebending won't help me in this frozen waste, but that won't stop me from pushing you overboard to freeze!"<br/><br/>"Waste?" Katara snaps, ignored.<br/><br/>Sokka turns quickly, holding his hands up in a defensive position. "Whoa, easy! I'm just playing around. What, do you not have jokes in the Fire Nation?"<br/><br/>The boat rocks slightly as Zuko shifts, the wood and hides groaning under the weight of an additionally body. He can see ice crystals forming along the wood in a ring where the water meets the thin planks.<br/><br/>"Sorry, I guess I just didn't realize it was a joke. I was under the impression that those are supposed to funny," Zuko snaps.<br/><br/>Sokka glares, his lower lip jutting out slightly. Out of the corner his good eyes, Zuko sees Katara giving him a steely frown, almost daring him to even try continuing the fight.<br/><br/>He considers listening to her. Then he sees the smug look on Sokka's face.<br/><br/>He lunges, shoving the boy across the boat angrily. His blood is hot in his veins and he hears Sokka swearing angrily at him, a gloves hand cuffing his ear. He seizes one of Sokka's wrist and twists it, causing him to cry in pain and headbutt him.<br/><br/>Katara yells out, leaping to her feet. The sudden shift in weight send the boat rocking wildly, and she lets out a scream as her fur boots slip against the wood and she falls, hitting the water with a splash.<br/><br/>Zuko and Sokka pull away immediately. Katara glares, her lips already flushing blue as she grasps at the sides of the canoe. Zuko takes her right arm and Sokka takes her left, helping her back into the canoe. As soon as she's safely back inside, Sokka's head whips towards Zuko, his face folding into an angry glare.<br/><br/>"You could have killed her! I knew it was a bad idea keeping him around, Katara! He's not a lost puppy, he's a Fire Nation soldier!"<br/><br/>Katara sneezes, loud enough to bounce off the shining icebergs and into the frozen distance. Zuko kneels beside her, cupping his hands to form a flame. The orange glow against Katara's dark skin makes her look like she's made from bronze, the soft flickering of the fire accentuating her grateful smile.<br/><br/>A moment later, cold water splashes over Zuko's hand, dousing the fire easily. "Don't even think about it, Hothead!"<br/><br/>"Sokka!"<br/><br/>The force in Katara's voice is enough to make Zuko flinch. Her eyes are hard as they meet Sokka's. Zuko notices the water is already starting to head up and pool off her clothes as she concentrates on bending it away.<br/><br/>"He's not just a Fire Nation soldier, Sokka," she says, standing to face her brother.<br/><br/>"Well, he's pretty obviously a creep, too," Sokka says defensively. Zuko notes the way his fists are still clenched in his hide mittens. He shifts his feet apart and back almost without thinking, prepared to dodge.<br/><br/>"He's...he's the Avatar," Katara says.<br/><br/>There's silence for a moment. Zuko hears the water lapping against the ice and the sides of the boat. In the distance, the wind whistles a lonely tune through the glaciers. Part of Zuko wants to make a break for it. He wants to run, or fight.<br/><br/>Katara's eyes meet his for a moment.<br/><br/>He focuses on the fur lining of his coat and the way it molds to his skin, the way it all but holds him tightly.<br/><br/>And then Sokka bursts into laughter.<br/><br/>Zuko flinches. It's such a loud, brash sound, one he hasn't heard in a long time (maybe ever) and the closest thing he knows is the ship's bell clanging for drills or battle.<br/>"Really, Katara? The Avatar is a myth. And even if he wasn't, he's not going to be a Fire Nation soldier!" Sokka glares, gesturing angrily to Zuko.<br/><br/>"They're not a myth! He's right here!" Katara insists. She looks to Zuko almost encouragingly. "Show him!"<br/><br/>Zuko shakes his head. "No! There's nothing around here to bend."<br/><br/>"Just waterbend. You're the Avatar, it should be easy," Katara says, although she herself doesn't sound very confident.<br/><br/>Zuko looks at his reflection in the water. He tries to tap back in to whatever that feeling was with the pot, the strange connection in his chest. He tries to latch onto something, be it the sound of the waves or the cold, briny smell.<br/><br/>He wills the water up to his fingertips. He imagines pulling it from the cold, like he pulls his fire from the heat, grasping at the threads of energy.<br/><br/>The water spouts up weakly, a small burst the splashes against Zuko's palm. He's surprised by it himself, yelling and pulling his hand away, wiping the cold water off his mitten.<br/><br/>Sokka's eyes look like dinner plates. "You're...you're actually the Avatar?" His voice is somewhere between awe and rage. It's Zuko's turn to shoot Katara a glance, not wanting step too far in one direction and risk another fight.<br/><br/>Sokka sits heavily in the boat, a loud thud heard as the layers of his coats do little to muffle his body collapsing against the wood.<br/><br/>"So why are you here? Why aren't you helping the Fire Nation finish destroying the rest of the Four Nations?" Sokka asks. His time is surprisingly diplomatic, genuine curiosity rather than an aggressive accusation.<br/><br/>It's Zuko's turn to sit opposite Sokka, taking a breath before he answer. The cold air needles at his lungs. "I didn't know until yesterday. Even if I had, I haven't been home for a long time," he admits. Katara's looking out over the water, her gaze still. She lets him tell the story.<br/><br/>To Zuko's surprise, Sokka looks at him bitterly, but he can sense the bitterness isn't truly directed at him. "Wish I could say the same. All the other men in our tribe left to fight in the war, and I've been stuck here," he grumbles.<br/><br/>The bubbling rage in Zuko rears itself again. He thinks back to his own bedroom and the pond with the turtleducks and the smells and sounds of the capitol that he misses ever day, even when he pretends not to.<br/><br/>"It's not like I asked to be out here on my own!" Zuko snaps. "I shouldn't have to be a part of this war!"<br/><br/>Sokka's brows furrow for a moment, and his lip twitches like he's going to push back. A moment passes, and he only shakes his head. "Like it or not, Hothead, we're all part of this war. Some of us just get to play more honorable parts in it."<br/><br/>The corners of Zuko's mouth tug upward in spite of himself. "I guess so."<br/><br/>Sokka gives him a half-smile, and Zuko wonders if this is what it's like to have a brother.<br/><br/>"Great!" Katara claps her hands, and if it weren't for the dead silence the sound would have been swallowed by her thick mittens and the sheets of ice around the boat. "Now that we're all friends - "<br/><br/>"That's a strong word," Sokka says.<br/><br/>"Yeah, I wouldn't be so quick to be calling us friends," Zuko agrees.<br/><br/>Katara glares at both of them, icy enough to make Zuko want to lean back.<br/><br/>"Whatever. We don't hate each other. But we also know he's the Avatar! All our parts in this war are going to be over because he's going to end it," Katara declares.<br/><br/>"How?"<br/><br/>Zuko and Sokka's voices ring in unison.<br/><br/>Katara throws her hands in the air, exasperated. "I don't know! He's the Avatar! Isn't it destiny?"<br/><br/>"Obviously not for the last three Avatars," Zuko points out. The round face of a boy flashes through his mind, smiling widely but with widened eyes, but he can't place it before it slips away.<br/><br/>"But you're different. You have us," Katara says.<br/><br/>Zuko meets her eyes, searching them. They're the same color as the icy water lapping at the side of the boat, reflecting the same cold, cloudless sky. No one in the Fire Nation has eyes like Katara's, he realizes. That shade of blue is hardly ever seen in the Fire Nation at all. All he's ever known are the reds and golds of his nation, hot and abrasive; the coolness and calm he sees in the eyes of this water tribe girl are foreign to him.<br/><br/>(For a moment, he thinks they're almost familiar, but the thought vanishes like the round-faced boy.)<br/><br/>"I...I do?"<br/><br/>Katara sighs, taking Zuko by the hand and pulling him back to her feet. Even her mittens are small compared to his.<br/><br/>"You haven't burned down the whole village yet. I don't think you're completely evil, I guess," she says, letting her hand drop. "If you're going to stop this war, I want to help."<br/><br/>"Me, too," Sokka says, a bit quickly.<br/><br/>Zuko looks between the two people, thinking back to the debate he'd had with himself not one week prior, lying on the floor of one of the huts. He remembers how Katara flinched when his fire breath curled out from within him, how earnest the boy in his dreams always seemed to be.<br/><br/>He takes another breath. This time, the air doesn't seem quite so sharp in his lungs.<br/><br/>"We're going to need a better boat," he says.</p>
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